Freezers Hit 122 Degrees as Cyberattacks Spoil Food Across Five European Countries

Supermarket freezers in five European countries reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, November 2, after cyberattacks targeted their refrigeration systems.

The temperature spikes caused spoilage of perishable goods, forcing stores to discard inventory. The incidents follow a similar attack in France last month that triggered fires and food losses at hundreds of locations. Retailers and officials note that internet-connected store systems have created new vulnerabilities.

In Sweden, ICA Group confirmed that a limited number of stores were affected. The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjöbo reported that its fridges and freezers were hacked and set to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Staff discarded all affected items. The Coop grocery chain reported similar problems at six of its stores.

In Belgium, dozens of Ahold Delhaize stores and five Spar shops had their refrigeration systems targeted. Stephan Moelans, chief executive of Sabcobel, told the Belga news agency that evaporators were switched to defrost mode. Carrefour stated that only an extremely limited impact occurred, affecting 15 out of more than 700 locations.

In Luxembourg, a few stores were impacted. In Estonia, technology supplier Kitman Coldtech confirmed that one client’s systems were accessed and set to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. In Ireland, the SuperValu chain reported a cyber incident at 13 stores, forcing the removal of some chilled and frozen products. The company stated that its monitoring systems alerted staff to the issue and that immediate action was taken.

John Billow, head of Sweden’s National Cybersecurity Centre, told Reuters that authorities are responding to multiple incidents. He called for urgent updates to vulnerable operational technology devices. The European Commission warned that these incidents show how cyber threats can disrupt daily life and urged stronger cybersecurity across the continent.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Authorities have not identified the perpetrators. Supermarkets are currently working to restore affected systems and minimize further impacts.